The Ties That Bind
by JanieHart
Summary: Tsuzuki and Hisoka releshing their time together. Memories of Ruka. :3 Sorry about the summary from earlier.
1. Default Chapter

**The Ties that Bind** - by Janie Hart

--- 

'Asato-kun...' 

Tsuzuki dreams of her. 

'My little brother. Don't worry about the other children, they're not like us.' 

Someone older, wiser, eyes just like his own. 

'Ruka-nee,' young Tsuzuki Asato would cry into his older sister's dress. 'Why can't I be like them?' 

'Because you can be so much more than them. You shall see, Asato-kun.' She would smile, that gently fanged smile, warm only to him. Then one time she had asked, 'Did they hurt you?' 

'Yes,' he replied, unthinking, wiping the wetness from his eyes. She would lean down and kiss the tears away. 

'Then let your nee-chan help you.' 

And the next day, the children who he had tried to befriend went missing, never to be found. Disappeared - stolen into the night as if they had never exsisted. 

'Ruka-nee...' he whispered, standing in the empty field. He had tried to join the children in catching fireflies two nights ago. But now the turfs of grass were void and silent. 'Where are they?' 

'In a place where they will never hurt you again,' Ruka answered, drawing him into her embrace, her hands more like claws than fingers. 'When you need help, just come to me.' 

He never would. But even so, he still felt so safe in her arms... he would become sleepy and doze off. And every night, she would tell him, though he never remembered, 'I'll come back for you, my dear Asato-kun...' 

---- 

Sometimes Tsuzuki would wake up being watched by his green-eyed partner. Hisoka rested his chin on the crook of Tsuzuki's shoulder, breath slow and soft. 

"Good morning," Hisoka might say, staring curiously. One slim hand tugged the covers up to his face, so that only his eyes were peeking out from the blankets. 

"Ohayo," Tsuzuki usually answered, then burrowing himself into the blankets to peek at Hisoka in a similar fashion. They would playfully wage a staring contest until someone - usually Tsuzuki - would give in and chuckle, quickly diving and tackling Hisoka. Hisoka protested, and they engaged in a wrestling match that ended with one of them stradling the other, then the victor would head off to claim the first shower. 

Tsuzuki stared after Hisoka, dreams forgotten, as the young Shinigami took up a set of clean clothes. 

"Come baaack," Tsuzuki whined pitiously, limply sprawled over the bed. 

"Tell me why should I." 

"Because I love you?" 

The corners of his eyes crinkled, as if trying not to smile. "Try again." 

"Hisoka-samaaaa, please come and give Tsuzuki-chan a hug?" Tsuzuki tilted his head to the side, eyes wide, hands propped on his chest like paws. 

"Stupid," Hisoka responded, but entertained his partner and crawled over. Tsuzuki threw his arms and a leg over the young man and squeezed him as he would a plushie, rejoicing at how comfortably their bodies meshed, and how fortunate he was to have someone so wonderful with him. Hisoka, likewise, felt the same. 

After some quality cuddling Tsuzuki suddenly hopped off the bed and declared, "Now, the shower is mine!" 

"Unfair!" Hisoka called, sitting up. "Do you have no honor?" He was answered by a throaty cackle, followed by the sound of running water. 

Tsuzuki wandered out sometime later, with a towel propped turban-style on his head... wearing nothing else. 

"Get some clothes on," Hisoka ordered and looked away, while trying to maneuver around the man to get into the bathroom. 

"Why should I? Since I have no honor..." he joked, giving Hisoka a swift peck on the nose. 

His face wrinkled in gentle annoyance before Hisoka gamely returned to Tsuzuki a complete kiss, and Tsuzuki found he was tempted to step back into the bathroom and take another shower, but this time not alone. 

-  
TBC 


	2. breakfast

Notes: I apologize that their breakfast is so completely American. 

**The Ties that Bind** - by Janie Hart  
Part 2 

"That was nice." 

"Mm," was Hisoka's reply. 

They lingered on the bed after their shower, knowing that they had plenty of opportunity to rush to work later. Tsuzuki lightly rubbed his hand up and down Hisoka's naked spine, glowing in each other's presence. Hisoka laid his head down under Tsuzuki's strong neck, his hair still damp, and cocooned in warmth. 

"Were you dreaming this morning?" Hisoka murmured into the hollow of his collarbone. 

"Hai," Tsuzuki whispered into light, sugar-brown hair. 

"Want to talk about it?" His partner shook his head after a thought. Hisoka simply nuzzled his broad chest. "That's all right, there's no hurry." 

"Though I think we might have to hurry to the office soon," Tsuzuki joked. 

"I suppose we should," Hisoka said reluctantly. One thing they discovered early on that they had in common was their penchant for sleeping in. "What do you want for breakfast?" 

Tsuzuki smiled. "Toast. Maybe eggs. Anything quick." 

"Then you make the toast, and I'll do eggs." They kissed once before getting up, then shuffled around for misplaced clothing. 

Hisoka was the first to finish, and went to the kitchen to start up the stove. Tsuzuki had to wrestle a bit with his pants before he could follow, sloppily buttoning his shirt and accidentally missing a button so he had to redo the whole thing. Reaching the fridge he took out some butter, juice and jam, and then put bread into the toaster. Next to the stove, Hisoka broke an egg over the frying pan, and the smell of fresh food caused the man's stomach to growl. Going up behind Hisoka, Tsuzuki lightly wrapped his arms around his young partner's waist. 

"You know, you wouldn't look half bad in an apron," he said brightly. 

Hisoka snorted. "You wish." 

"Aw, come on. I can just see you in something frilly, maybe pink, and a cute red heart right _there_ - " 

The young man gave a strangled sort of protest as a wandering hand declared just where would the heart be, and the frying pan nearly sliding off the stove. "TSUZUKI! You moron, you're going to lose your damned breakfast if you keep doing that!" Hisoka rapped his spatula over Tsuzuki's knuckles, and the man let go with an apologetic laugh. 

"Gomen nasaiiii Hisoka!" The toast popped from the toaster at that moment. He decided to distract himself with getting plates and silverware, setting the table, and nibbling at the corner of his bread. It was strawberry jam today, and he made sure to load up as much as he could get away with. The simple thought of his partner berating him about taking too much jam made him smile - it wasn't too long ago that Tsuzuki ate breakfast alone, and it was so much better when he had someone else with him. Then, for the sake of it, he buttered up Hisoka's toast. 

"Thank-you," Hisoka said with a gentle look, coming by with the eggs. 

They ate and were satisfied, piling the plates into the sink and giving them a good rinse before they saw that they had to leave. Gathering at the doorway they had one last look at the little house they shared together - small, but filled with love that was forged through many trials, then tempered by time and understanding. Hisoka and Tsuzuki stepped outside, closing the door and locking it behind them. 

Had they known what the next few days would hold for them, maybe they would have delayed the parting just a bit longer; for it would be the last time that they would ever be in that home together. 

--- 

TBC! 

Dun dun DUUN  
Notes: Don't worry! I love Tsuzuki and Hisoka too much to do any _too_ horrible to them... I think... ::mwahaha::!!! 


End file.
